There may not have been any goals but there was a real buzz about Highfield Road as the Sky Blues kicked their new league campaign off in style.

Those watching City for the first time this season would no doubt have seen a marked improvement despite the fact that they dropped two points in as exhilarating a goalless hammering as you are ever likely to see.

The game plan was to keep Paul Merson quiet by keeping possession and it worked a treat as the home side controlled the game for long periods, reducing the Saddlers' skip-per to a bit part on the day as they bombarded the visitors' goal.

The onslaught reached its climax at the start of the second half when Coventry threw everything at their opponents who finally buckled when Neil Emblen brought down Patrick Suffo in the box, leaving Gary McAllister with the opportunity to break the deadlock from the penalty spot.

But the player manager uncharacteristically missed what turned out to be City's best chance of the afternoon when he hit the ball onto the left-hand post and watched as it bounced out and under goalkeeper Jimmy Walker who smothered it to safety.

?My theory over the years has been to pick a corner and go for it but it is a game of inches,? explained the disappointed player manager.

?The difference between a good pass and bad pass is inches and it is the same with penalties.

?Another inch to the right and it would have gone in off the post, but it came out and the keeper managed to get on top of it, but that's the pitfall of hitting penalties and it is very rare that a player can take penalties and never miss.?

The 56th minute chance was swift-ly followed by further efforts from all angles as the home side upped their game and went for the kill.

But just as they were camped in and around the 18-yard box, a more blatant penalty claim came and went as Youssef Safri went down under a challenge from Zigor Aranalde, only to be shown a second yellow card and sent off for diving.

The Moroccan, along with the 14,000 or so strong home support could not believe their eyes as referee Chris Foy reduced the side to ten men - a decision that promptly took the wind out of their sails for the last 15 minutes of the game.

?I thought the sending off was harsh," insisted McAllister afterwards. ?Looking at the video the second one is more of a penalty than the one we were given because there was more contact.

?We will have a word with the referee and ask him to review the situation because there was definitely contact.?

Although the two incidents proved to be the main talking points of the day, most of the home fans will undoubtedly have left the ground with more optimism than any sense of disappointment at missing out on the full three points.

Scott Shearer didn't have a single save to make and that was due, in part, to the fact that City's defence was being organised by one Steve Staunton.

Deployed in the centre of defence, the 34-year-old oozed class and took control of the back four alongside Mo Konjic from the word go, instilling a sense of confidence right through the side and never once wasting possession. I thought Steve was exactly as I expected him to be,? enthused McAllister about his latest acquisition.

?He was composed and very assured. His use of the ball is second to none and the guy wants to play football.?

With Staunton, City now have a number of players in a similar mould. McAllister, Safri, Konjic and Stephen Warnock also keep possession well and that was clearly evident at the weekend, and provides a solid foundation from which to build a formidable attack.

The front line is making steady progress and with more games will undoubtedly become more prolific.

Dele Adebola still looks a little heavy legged but there is no doubting his work-rate and strength, while his current starting partner Patrick Suffo is a box of tricks who is exciting to watch and also works hard.

The Cameroonian chased one seem-ingly lost cause and won possession before delighting the crowd with a fancy drag back to get out of a tight spot on the pitch and set up an attack, and forced the keeper into a terrific save with one of a number of trademark powerful shots.

Graham Barrett also adds an exciting attacking dimension to the mid-field and the 21-year-old has improved with every game, while Andy Morrell again made an impact when he came on in the second half for the injured Adebola, and will almost certainly be in contention for a place in the starting line-up when he catches up on his fitness.

The striker's instinct is there for all to see. He makes intelligent runs, has a great first touch and will do almost anything to score a goal, as he showed when he launched himself off the ground to make a diving header at the near post within minutes of entering the field.

Another area of the play that has improved significantly is the use of orthodox fullbacks who get forward and overlap and get crosses in. Both Andrew Whing and Warnock did this well on a day when Walsall rarely got the opportunity to threaten at the other end.

?I am trying to think of a chance that they had because they didn't have many,? said McAllister.

?We kept very close to Paul Merson who hit a few good passes which he always will, but we managed to keep him fairly quiet.

?I can only assume that Colin Lee reckons coming here and getting a point is a good result.?

It may not have been the best result for the Sky Blues, but the goals will soon start flooding in if they continue to produce performances like this.